"Postdoctoral Associate - Democratic Innovations Fellowship: 2026-2027"

Location

New Haven, CT

Open Date

Nov 25, 2025

Deadline

Nov 25, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Description

The Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS) invites postdoctoral students and junior scholars to apply for its Democratic Innovations Fellowship. Democratic Innovations is an interdisciplinary ISPS program that encourages social scientists from a variety of fields to think about the factors that affect government policy and decision-making and to analyze novel democratic institutions that might support improvements in representation, citizen inclusion, and government performance. To further the study and dissemination of novel ideas, the program will aim to answer questions such as:

• What changes to our political institutions will promote efficient, evidence-based decisions?
• What changes to our political institutions can make them more representative, inclusive, deliberative, and participatory?
• How do ideas and knowledge spread and what institutions can catalyze faster social learning and elevate fact over misinformation?
• How can we build democratic political institutions founded on a realistic view of citizen engagement?
• How can we attract dedicated and talented people to government and promote public engagement that contributes high-quality participation to the political system?
• What new possibilities for government, representation, and citizen participation are introduced by modern technologies, including artificial intelligence?
• What lessons can we learn about factors affecting government performance from history and social science?
• How can we test our ideas scientifically and how can we work to put proven good ideas into practice?

We are interested in theoretical and empirical scholars doing basic or applied research on these and related questions. We are also interested in scholars who are experts in novel systems of representation and decision making, especially any innovations in voting, citizens’ assemblies, or other political reforms that have been introduced recently and take advantage of advances in communication or computation.

Qualifications

Fellowship positions are open to those who have recently completed their Ph.D. (in the last 6 years), or to those who currently hold an untenured faculty position. Junior scholars are generally supported at a standard postdoctoral level for a period of one year beginning July 1, 2026 and are expected to be in residence during the academic year. In some cases, the Democratic Innovations Fellowship may be extended to a second year. Fellows are expected to be actively engaged with the activities of the Democratic Innovations program and present their research at least once per semester. Salary is negotiable depending on qualifications and may, in some cases, include minimal teaching responsibilities.

Application Instructions

Please send cover letter, research statement, current C.V., one writing sample, and two letters of recommendation. A copy of graduate transcripts is also required for postdoctoral applicants not currently holding a faculty position.

The review process will begin on January 15, 2026. Please submit your application by that date to receive full consideration.

Application Process

This institution is using Interfolio's Faculty Search to conduct this search. Applicants to this position receive a free Dossier account and can send all application materials, including confidential letters of recommendation, free of charge.

Apply Now